How To Protect Yourself From Yellow Fever Virus

Introduction

Yellow fever is an acute viral disease, which is caused by the bite of a female mosquito. The disease is found in the tropic and sub tropical areas of the world. It can be transferred through any kind of mosquito. This disease is carried by primates. Yellow fever virus was carried through primates to everyone else. And many people lost their lives because of it. The vaccination to treat yellow fever virus was found a long time after the spread of the disease.

History

The disease was first found in the 16th century when America was discovered and slaves were transferred from South America to Europe. These slaves carried various kinds of germs because their residential locations were not safe and caused many diseases to spread. This is how yellow fever virus spread. It was in the 20th century that a proper vaccine to treat the dangerous virus was discovered.

Features

Yellow fever is caused when a female mosquito bites a person. The symptoms that show that the yellow fever virus has transferred to a person include: fever, a nauseous feeling and a lot of pain. These symptoms are shown after several days of transfer of the fever. This disease is a hemorrhagic fever that involves internal bleeding which may result in death, if not stopped. In some toxic conditions patients having a hemorrhage during the fever usually have their liver shredded away and also get jaundice; in such conditions death might occur. It is estimated by the WHO that every year almost 200,000 illnesses occur every year out of which 30,000 people die every year. There are three stages of the disease. In the first stage the signs of the disease occur which involve headache, chills, pain in the entire body, vomiting, blurred vision etc. In the second stage, internal bleeding starts. In this the person gets jaundice that is a liver infection. In many cases, it becomes difficult to ensure the patient s survival. And in most cases the disease proves fatal. And in case a person survives, vaccination along with life long immunity is given to the patient. In diagnosis, patients are kept in an incubator for a few days and then the disease is diagnosed virologically. In many cases, the cure for the disease is very expensive and most people who are not financially well off are unable to attain treatment and they end up loosing their lives.

Tips and comments

Since yellow fever is a viral disease, no causative cure is actually present. However hospitalization and intense care of the patient is required to treat the yellow fever virus. Patients are given anti viral medicines and are advised to take juices and fruits in order to strengthen their immune system because viral diseases can only be treated by the immune system and the various enzymes produced by the immune system. And if a patient is taking some medicines, then he should not stop because if he does then the virus would become immune and difficult to treat. However great care must be taken to protect one’s self from the disease because the disease has severe after affects which include hair loss, weakness, skin diseases, etc.

By Amara, published at 01/14/2012

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